TERRE HAUTE, IN, UNITED STATES

06.16.2014

HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. — Airmen from the 181st Intelligence Wing will travel to Camp Atterbury to conduct an introductory course on Disaster Response Aerial Collection June 18-19, 2014.

The course will train other state’s National Guard units on state aerial domestic response missions with hands-on training for aerial collection teams performing disaster preparedness training and missions.

“We all want to be good at our state mission to protect ourselves and our neighbors through disaster preparedness,” stated Master Sgt. Benjamin Knowles, 181st Intelligence Wing.

The training will involve two units from Kansas and Ohio with Civil Air Patrol and Air Support Operations Squadrons to help air-to-ground communications.

“We are all in the military, wearing the uniform, and we’re proud that we can all help out our own state in a time of need as well as performing our federal mission,” stated Knowles.

The organizations from Kansas and Ohio want to begin conducting their own state aerial disaster response missions in addition to their overseas missions.

“We are currently the only Wing, in any state, that does this mission,” stated Staff Sgt. William Warner, 181st Intelligence Wing. “We are providing these organizations mission equipment to take back to their state and showing them how to do incident analysis and assessment during disasters.”

As overseas operations slowdown the 181st IW has adapted skills learned over the last six years to better assist disaster first responders.

“Assisting with domestic response, allows us to keep current on our training and help the state of Indiana respond more efficiently to natural disasters,” stated Warner.

Training like this allows the 181st Intelligence Wing to keep ready and reliable in all their skills.

“It’s very gratifying to be able to help out the citizens of Indiana, we are making a difference,” stated Warner.